Bulldozer Terror: Pictures and Reactions from the Scene

The picture on Jaffa Road after the attack: cars were crushed, a bus was overturned and blood stains were spattered about.

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Ze'ev Ben Yechiel, 02/07/08 23:27 | updated: 01:40

overturned bus terrorist attack

Ze'ev Ben Yechiel, Israel National News

In Wednesday's bizarre and gruesome bulldozer terrorist attack, an Arab worker for the Jerusalem Municipality murdered three Jews and injured upwards of 45 when he rolled his bulldozer over cars and pedestrians on Jerusalem’s Jaffa Road. Despite the mobilization of Yasam (special police anti-terror units) and other Israeli police forces, the terrorist was shot dead by a young religious off-duty IDF soldier who had just finished his basic training.

For several minutes there was no police presence on the scene, during which time the terrorist had free rein to massacre Jewish civilians. As in the Merkaz HaRav terror attack in March of this year, it took a civilian to step in and stop the slaughter. An army private, a brother-in-law of one of the two Merkaz HaRav heroes, obtained a gun from a security guard and shot three bullets into the bulldozer driver's head. The shooting of the terrorist by the teenage soldier was filmed live on news cameras. The private, who initially did not want to speak with the media, gave a modest account of his heroism.

After the attack Jaffa Road became a scene of crushed cars, overturned buses and blood stains splattered on vehicles not lucky enough to escape. Thirty minutes after the murders people were still being treated for shock and crowds continued to gather on rooftops.

Small tractor lifted from on top of carPhoto: Zaka

The overturned busPhoto: Zaka

Crushed taxiIsrael Project - Royalty-free

The bulldozer driver is the second resident of the Jerusalem Arab neighborhood of Tzur Baher in four months to murder Jewish civilians.

Brigadier-General Shachar Ayalon, Deputy Commissioner of the Israeli Police, called for the demolition of the house of the terrorist. “Unfortunately we have this situation between us and [the Arab residents of the town]. This is how we must react until they understand that they cannot behave themselves in this manner,” he said.

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One bystander named Michael commented on the fact that the Jerusalem Municipality hires Arab labor. “This is our fault, because we hired these people, and we created a situation which endangers the lives of all Jews. We need to get rid of all Arab workers.”

Sammy Grossman, a young paramedic with the ZAKA rescue organization, witnessed the horrific sequence of events as they unfolded. “I was there by chance. I was passing by on my motor scooter. I suddenly saw a bulldozer weaving through the street in all directions like crazy, running over everything that moved. When I saw the bulldozer heading my way, I threw the motor scooter to the ground and fled.”

Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupoliansky echoed Ayalon's calls for the demolition of the terrorist’s house. In a statement from the scene, Lupoliansky revealed that his daughter was on a bus close to the scene of the attack and added that she was unharmed.

As onlookers debated each other from behind police barricades, many began to wonder if the destruction of the house of the Merkaz HaRav murderer, widely called-for at the time, could have discouraged Wednesday's terrorist and averted a tragedy.